Water-wheel



No. 626,6l9, Patented June 6, I899. B. B. KUMMER. WATER WHEEL. (Application filed July 8; 1898.)

(No Model.)

A WORN/ Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

, RUDOLPH B. KUMMER, OF COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA.

WATER-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,619, dated June 6, 1899.

Application filed July 6,1898. Serial No. 685,243. (No model) To ctZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH B. KUMMER, of Columbus, in the county of Platte and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved lVater-lVheel, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in water-wheels, and has for its object a construction which will enable full efficiency to be obtained with any gate-opening.

My invention comprises the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi cate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my wheel, portions thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partially in section, of the same; and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the partition-plate removed.

The discharge-pipe A is provided with a flange B and cross-bars L, the latter being used to form a central support for the wheel- 'shaft J. A flange 0, similar to the flange B,

is secured at a given distance opposite the flange B by means of rods d, which connect the flanges. Between these two flanges. is placed a ring D, forming a casing about the wheel proper. The wheel proper consists of a central hub having longitudinally-extend-' ing blades or buckets I, which preferably are curved, as shown in the drawings. The lower end of the shaft J is journaled in the crossbars L and the upper end in a cross-bar F, supported upon standards E, which extend upwardly from the flange C.

A cylindrical gate Gimmediately surrounds the wheel and is of such length as to entirely close the space between the flanges B and 0 when in its lowest position. This gate is connected by means of rods K or any other suitable device, with means by which it may be raised and lowered, but is held against rotation. The hole in the upper flange C and the space between the standards E are of such diameter that the gate G will slide snugly between the same.

Within the space immediately surrounding the gate G is placed a series of guiding-partitions N, curved as in an ordinary inwardflow turbine, so as to guide the water upon the wheel-buckets in the direction best adapted for communicating power thereto. The water may be admitted to-the chamber immediately surrounding the gate in any suitable manner. As herein shown, the water is admitted through a pipe M, which connects with said chamber.

Inthe lower end of the gate G is formed a groove g, which extends entirely around the inner periphery and is close to the lower end of the gate. \Vithin this groove istplaced a partition-plate H, which fits snugly within the groove, but so that it may rotate freely therein. The partition-plate is also provided with slots h, adapted to receive the blades I of the Wheel. The lower surfaces of the sections between the wheel-blades are curved downwardly, so as to direct the water entering beneath thegate in a downward direction. This gives a larger contact-surface for the water,

so disposed as to assist in the rotative effect and especially at full gate-opening increases the efficiency. By this construction the partition-plate is adapted to be raised and lowered upon the flanges of the wheel by the adjustmentof the gate and also to rotate with said wheel. Said plate therefore forms a movable partition, which exposes more or less of the blades, as the power consumed demands.

This construction of the wheel, it will be seen, secures a constant velocity of flow of the water entering the Wheel, and consequentlyv a constant efficiency at whatever the gateopening. It will thus obviate the particular disadvantage of the ordinary turbine wheel due to loss of efficiency at a small gate-opening.

Having thus, described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 7 A water-wheel, having longitudinally-extending blades or buckets, a cylindrical gate movable longitudinally of the wheel, said gate having a peripheral groove near its lower end,

a partition-plate fitting and rotating in said groove and having slots receiving the wheelblades, and means for raising and lowering the gate. I

RUDOLPH B. KUMMER. \Vitnesses S. R. LATHAM, MINNIE MORGAN. 

